Cedar Woman (55 page)

stories.

Vicki
w
o
uld
o
ften
t
a
ke
h
e
r
bre
a
k
at
Pet
e
r
’
s
table,
br
i
ng
i
ng
him
a treat
–
a
m
u
ff
i
n
or
f
ry bre
a
d
t
o
m
un
c
h
o
n
.
Vicki
w
ou
l
d
so
licit
his
a
d
vice, dr
a
wi
n
g
him in
to
t
h
e
ru
nn
i
n
g
o
f
t
h
e
rest
a
u
r
ant
so
as
to
m
a
ke
him feel
as
t
h
o
u
g
h
h
e
w
er
e
co
n
t
r
ib
u
tin
g
.

This
d
i
d
not
g
o
un
notic
e
d
by
M
ary
a
n
d
Re
v
a,
a
n
d
on
o
n
e
particul
a
r occasion, wh
e
n
Vicki
a
s
ked
Peter’s
advi
c
e
on
how
to
i
m
prove
the
r
e
z coffee, M
a
ry turn
e
d
to Reva
and said,

“
I t
h
i
n
k yo
u
’re a
b
s
o
l
u
tely r
i
g
h
t.”

Lena
lean
e
d
back
on
t
h
e
o
l
d
sofa
in
t
h
e
three-ro
o
m a
p
artme
n
t
in whi
c
h
s
h
e
no
w
li
v
e
d
by
h
e
rself.
Her
m
o
t
h
er,
fat
h
e
r
an
d
gr
an
d
m
other,
n
o
w ow
n
e
d
a
s
m
a
ll
ho
u
se
o
n
City
Park
A
v
en
u
e
in
Ger
m
an
Villa
g
e. Eq
u
i
p
p
ed with
h
an
d
rails a
n
d ra
m
p
s f
o
r Peter, it
m
a
d
e life easier for t
h
e
ph
y
sically
a
n
d
m
e
n
t
ally
c
h
a
l
le
ng
e
d
p
a
t
riarch
of
t
h
e
fa
m
ily.
W
ith
t
h
e
h
elp
o
f
i
n
te
n
s
i
v
e
p
h
ysical
thera
p
y, Peter
lear
n
e
d
to
walk
a
g
ai
n
,
b
u
t
h
e ti
r
ed
qui
c
k
l
y
,
and
e
xp
e
rienc
e
d
fr
eq
u
ent
b
o
u
ts
of
verti
g
o.
As
a
result,
he wo
u
ld
often
re
v
ert
t
o
h
is
w
h
eelc
h
air.
M
ary
felt
t
h
at
t
h
e
little
h
o
u
se w
o
uld be
m
o
re
co
m
f
ortable
f
o
r h
e
r h
u
sb
and
,
a
n
d so t
h
e
m
ove was
m
ade.

It was
Len
a
’s day o
f
f,
a
n
d
s
h
e
was
sp
e
nd
i
ng her
t
i
m
e go
i
ng ov
e
r new
m
enu
id
e
as,
a
n
d
sket
c
h
i
n
g
endless sc
e
n
es of
rest
a
u
r
a
nt
d
e
signs
a
n
d seat
i
ng
a
r
r
a
ng
em
en
t
s.
The
r
e
was
a
r
a
p
i
d
kn
o
ck
o
n
t
h
e
d
oo
r.
L
e
na
cal
l
ed,

“
co
m
e
i
n
,”
and
Reva
e
n
ter
e
d.
Ap
p
r
oa
c
h
ing
t
e
ntati
v
el
y
,
Reva
sat
d
ow
n

beside
L
e
na,
gi
n
g
erly
plac
i
ng
her
left
h
a
nd
u
p
o
n
h
e
r
gr
an
dd
au
ghte
r’
s shou
l
d
er.

“
Cedar
Wo
m
an,”
s
h
e
said.
Lena
loo
k
ed
up
w
ith
s
u
rp
r
ise.
Sel
do
m d
i
d h
e
r gr
a
nd
m
o
t
h
e
r use her
N
d
N
³²
na
m
e.
T
h
is
m
u
st be
i
m
portant.

“
Cedar Wo
m
an,”
s
h
e r
e
peated,
“
I have
s
p
oken
to
t
h
e gr
a
n
dfath
e
rs,
a
n
d
w
e
ar
e
t
o
g
o
t
o
Ke
o
ku
k
t
h
i
s
s
u
mmer
f
o
r
t
h
e Ann
u
al Gat
h
ering
of
t
h
e Peo
p
le.
T
h
ere
we
will
m
eet
with
Tell
W
o
lf
and
I
n
a
Mahto
L
u
t
a
³³
,
and
M
a
h
to
L
u
ta
.
³⁴
I
h
a
ve
ask
e
d Vicki to
be
com
e
m
y dau
g
hter.
She has agre
e
d
.